Papa
by Insert a Catchy Penname Here
Summary: As long as we're all a team, nothing will hurt us. At least, that's what Papa said. **Ella-centric, takes place before and during 'The Power of Six'*
1. Nothing will hurt Us

Papa

_I balance on my toes carefully, looking across the Earth as far as I can. The land is so dreary and rainy, it instantly makes me feel sad. Sticking out my lower lip in a pout, I toddle back to the spot of the floor where I was working before, plopping down and going back to my drawing. I don't like it when it rains; it always seems dark and hopeless, like nothing will get better. _

_But it will and I know it. Even though I'm only four, I know a lot. I know that I am part of the Garde, and that I am Number Ten. I know that Papa is my unofficial Cepan, but I always know that he is my Papa. _

_Nothing that happens/ nothing that happened on Lorien will ever change that. I know that I am Loric, and that I was escaped because my real papa sacrificed himself so that I could make it to the second ship blasting away from our destroyed our planet. _

_I don't remember anything from the night, but I know that ever since it happened, Papa has been protecting me when we crashed on Earth. I have always felt when I'm being him, and I am curious about everything he has to teach me. He tells me that one day I'll be a really strong fighter too, and that one day, I will restore our home planet. _

_And I know I can trust him, because he never lies to me, even though I'm only four. _

"_What are you drawing, Ella?" he asks, calling me by the same he gave me when we came to Earth for the first time. _

"_I drawing Lorien!" I say happily, showing him a picture that he calls beautiful. He looks shocked at it, and I giggle, knowing that makes him happy. _

"_That is an amazing picture," he tells me, kneeling down to my level and looking over it slowly and carefully, "that's vivid detail, sweetheart. I am very proud of this." _

"_Oo are?" I start bouncing eagerly, my hair bouncing in it's two pigtails rabidly with my speed, "oo mean it?" _

"_Yes, I do," he chuckles, picking me up into his arms and giving me a tight hug, "I know you're going to make an amazing Legacy –holder one day." _

"_Me know too!" I crow in my four-year-old language, snuggling into his chest and watching it rain outside the window of the small house we'd found one of the first night on this strange new planet. _

"_I love you, Ella," he coos in my ear, and I smile widely, feeling like he was the right Papa for me, even if my real one was now dead. _

"_I wove oo, too," I smile, "forever and ever and ever." _

* * *

I am brought back to reality by Crayton gently touching me on the shoulder. I still call him 'Papa' and think of him as such, and he was right by saying that I was going to be a powerful Legacy-holder when I was four in the flashback I just got done having.

I do love him, and it breaks my heart a bit to have to be left at this strange orphanage alone in Spain. Even if I don't remember anything about it, being left alone when Lorien was hibernating and the Mogodorians were on Earth now as well….the thought kind of bothered me. I am still young and I know it, and I feel like I need to be a part of a team.

Crayton-Papa- and I are a team.

I don't want to leave anywhere without him, but I know I have to be brave. I may only be eleven, but I am smart and fast. I can make friends with Seven, I'm sure- and then we will unite the other numbers, too. I just have to keep my mouth shut and have faith Papa is nearby to help if things get too serious, or if the Mogodorians come.

"I love you, Papa," my voice is muffled as I hug him tightly, already shifted into my seven-year-old girl form.

My cover is simple: I'm an innocent seven-year-old Earth child who's parents died in a horrible automobile collision, and now I have nowhere else to go in Spain. This is the cover I must uphold, even though I already know I'm actually going to hate this cruel excuse of an orphanage, and I already have a bit of distaste for Spain. Ever since Papa and I arrived, people hadn't exactly been very nice, like they had been in America….well, more or less, it was just in this forgotten town people were bitter and unloving.

That I can tell so far, anyway.

"I love you too, Ella," he says softly in my ear, rubbing my small back a couple of times for encouragement and comfort, "try and stay out of trouble, and remember that it is vital you become allies with Seven. Understand?"

"I do," he uses the words 'allies', but I have a feeling deep in my gut that we will become _friends_ if I just show her I am not hurtful or mean, and that I truly do care for her wellbeing.

Maybe she'll care about mine, too.

When the heavy oak door is opened and the nun standing in the doorway sees me, a small, teary seven-year-old, she instantly ushers me in. I catch Papa's eye once last time before she ushers me inside, shutting the door behind both of us. I feel smaller than ever, which helps my scared, quiet act along as the other girls greet me by saying their names as they stand beside their beds, like they are being forced to do so.

Already I don't like it here, but Papa is surely near me. So I don't have much more to fear than what I usually do with the Mogadorians. When I see Mariana, I somehow feel a connection deep within my gut, and I somehow know that she is Number Seven.

Maybe we can be a team.

* * *

_***Time shift* **_

* * *

_The Chest. _

I had to find her chest for her, and I could do it for sure because I was really good at climbing high and finding the best hiding places, one's nobody looked in. As I am dragging the Chest back to Marina, I see that four other girls are attacking her, and I know I have to help her.

But when I jump down, I am slammed to the ground. My right leg is broken, and so are two of my fingers…Papa always taught me to be strong and to not make a fuss, no matter how bad it hurt. But it hurt so bad….I couldn't help but start to cry as Marina struggled to comfort me, to figure out how to fix me.

_Papa…please help us…._I think weakly, and that's when she does it. She heals my bones with a Legacy I didn't know she had….

She's just as amazing as him, just in a different way.

* * *

_***Time shift* **_

* * *

I can tell Marina is surprised at my abilities.

This flatters me a bit, I will admit. Papa always said that it was an amazing Legacy and that no other Gaurde would have it, which made me very happy and feel important. Even though I am actually eleven, Marina obviously likes me better a seven-year-old, and honestly, I've grown used to the form.

She's older and I know she will protect me no matter what, and while I am glad about this as well, I also know I will protect her as well. No matter what, her, Papa and I are a team.

And nothing will hurt us as long as we're a team….that's what Papa said, at least.

* * *

_***Time shift* **_

* * *

Olivia is dead, which makes me very sad. At least Number Six, Marina, and Papa are all alive, and we're heading to American to find John Smith/Number Four and Number Nine. I have a feeling in the pit of my gut that things are about to change a lot, but I hope the change doesn't mean the death of any of us.

The charm is broken. It's vital to keep each other alive if we're to win the battle.

At least I've still got them.

Six is strong, and so in Marina. I have faith in both of them now; we're all a team. And then I still have Papa.

I will always have them….right?

* * *

Author Note: I know that kind of sucked….sorry, but I love Ella to bits, so I did a small centric of her 'cause I was kind of bored ;)

P.S. I haven't read "The Rise of Nine" yet, so no spoilers in the reviews, please! :)


	2. Making him Proud

Papa 2

_**Author Note:** _Thank you, Guest, for the super sweet reivew :) It means a lot to me, and now that I have read "The Rise of Nine", I decided to add a couple more little one-shots that take place during/after that book )

* * *

Papa is dead.

Papa is _dead_.

The words don't taste right when I mumble them to myself, and they don't roll around in my head smoothly. It doesn't sound right, and the reality of seeing him lying so broken crushes my soul inside.

Marina can't fix him.

I am angry, but I know it's true as I sob and beg him to come back, to let her save him. I can't lose him, not now. But deep inside, I know the timing is almost perfect. I am with the other Numbers, and now we will all fight to return home to Lorien.

But I don't want him to go.

But he has already.

* * *

I feel stupid.

I know Marina is the least knowledgable of all of us, bless her heart, and I know Eight's very confident and attractive, but sometimes he thinks without doing. But I'm the youngest Loric alive, and I wasn't even supposed to be around if it wasn't for my real Papa.

Papa.

For some reason, when Crayton was around, I felt more comfortable and confident about myself. I think it was because I always knew he'd back me up, that he'd always be on my side. And while I know that Marina is kind of taking his place now in this role, she is still very different than him. Nobody can truly replace him, and I know niether of them have time for it any more than somehow like Six does.

We have to defeat the Mogodorians.

They have more important things to worry about than an eleven-year-old girl who is still broken-hearted over the loss of both of her Papas.

I just don't understand why they still care so much.

* * *

When I throw the red stone, I know that I am going to be hit. I know that there is a very real chance that I might not surrvive a blast from the enemy, much less any sword slash.

I know the human knows that, too.

But we are brave, we are strong, and we know we have to help.

We want to help.

Even as I am hit, I have a feeling that Papa would be very proud of me.

* * *

John just saved our lives.

Something about that act of caringness from a fellow Number makes me more comfortable. Four reminds me a little of Papa, with his smartness and bravery. I hope we continue to get along; all of us. We're all a team now, and when we meet up with Number Five, we'll all be unfeatable.

I think I'm finally letting Papa go, even though he will forever remain in my heart.

Marina takes my hand, and I reach out to touch John's wrist, smiling my gratefulness to him. It's time for us to flee before the building collaspes, but I'm okay with that. I am sure that we're all going to surrvive this, even with the fortold prophecy of what may or may not happen to Eight. All I know is that we all surrvived that battle, and we can surrvive the biggest one.

And then we can go home, because we a_re _the Garde.

And the Garde is forever.

* * *

"Goodnight, Papa," I whisper to myself as I crawl onto the mattress, Marina and Six already fast asleep as the others asleep out across the hotel already. I decided to pray before I dozed off myself, and now I don't regret it.

I feel like Crayton's spirit is still with me now, and that gives me even more hope, joy, and detirmination.

"I love you," I whisper out of the window, "and I promise: I will make you proud."


End file.
